Author's Note: The finale. I hope you enjoy.

All characters (c) Kayla Silvercat, the Rewallish Concept (c) Brian Jacques

Chapter 3

The last preparations for battle had been made, and the army was keyed to a nearly explosive tension that would vent itself on the battlefield. Sardan snapped at any creature, even Remor, for the slightest interruption and would not tolerate a diversion from the main goal. Though Remor knew from experience that the battle strategy they were going to follow would destroy the woodlanders, he also knew Sardan was not taking any chances.

Regardless, Remor was more than happy to upset Sardan's future victory.

And Sardan wasn't the only one snapping at beasts. Even Falston received the other side of Remor's tongue, as the marten hastily went through his day training the troops as efficiently and expertly as he could, though it was Sardan's crass comments that had him on edge. He couldn't help but feel the wildcat was constantly reading or searching his mind for his imminent betrayal, but since nothing had been said Remor assumed he was doing a good job of hiding his thoughts.

And now it was time.

Everything hinged on the obvious chaos before the battle for Remor to slip away undetected. Among two thousand troops, it wouldn't be easy to spy the one and only commander and Remor was hoping this would throw off Sardan's attention. He still had to be quick, though, because Sardan would be expecting to find him heading the renegades if anywhere, and it would be discovered very quickly that he'd stayed behind.

The pine marten cautiously opened his door and peered down the hall before slipping out and launching into a dead run to get to the cells. Having lived in that castle with the halls bustling or echoing the lively sound of walking, it was eerie running through it then. Aside from the constant thud of his paws there were no other sounds. No creatures talking, no paws scuffing the rugs, or even hidden crickets chirping. It was dead quiet.

At the entrance he darted into the Warden's room and fumbled for the keys hung on the hook. Cursing his clumsiness, he eventually snatched them up then jammed them into the lock at the mouse's door. And as the lock clicked open he said, "Arden, are you ready?"

"Yes," the mouse said in a croaking voice. When Remor yanked the door open he wasn't surprised—but still saddened—to see Arden had received the better part of a lashing on his arms as the mouse crawled over to him on all fours. Aside from that his face was grimy beyond recognition from his time in cell, which made the pine marten breathe, but he still asked.

"Can you walk?"

"Yes, I just need to stretch my legs a little is all. I've been sitting down for so long…" He shakily got to his feet and proudly smiled when he stood up straight.

Unlike other times, Remor did not hesitate to grab the mouse's paw in a powerful grip and yank him out of the cell. "Why are you just standing there? We need to get out of here! I only have a few minutes before Sardan starts searching for me, and he will come back here!"

He was glad when Arden didn't protest him as they dashed down the hall and through the castle. The terrible silence, however, was tightening Remor's nerves and he was sure he'd explode into a sprint of panic if he heard anything that was not the soft padding of their paws. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the opening to the entrance hall, only to have it cut short by the muffled sound of voices speaking on the other side of the door.

Remor immediately cast around for an alternative route and suddenly veered down the hall toward the back end of the mess hall to the kitchen. He knew of a backdoor that was meant to be there in case of an emergency. This is as much an emergency as anything, he reasoned, though he pushed the thought aside.

"Oh, oh, they're right outside. Are you sure we can get out of here?" He heard Arden whisper.

Despite his fear of making any noise he still hissed back ferociously, "Shut up! Don't speak until I tell you to!"

He could hear creatures within the entrance hall now and his blood ran cold when he heard Sardan's deep rumble say, "Go to Malak's room first. He might've drifted off, though that will not excuse his absence or this delay."

"Yes, sir!"

"If you don't find him there search the entire—"

Remor didn't hear the rest as he dashed through the kitchen and slammed through the heavy door into streaming, summer daylight. This time he looked around before breathing, but he didn't stop to enjoy the sight of the lush grass or smell the sweet, warm air or absorb the bright yellow light cascading down on him, instead he sprinted toward one of the side gates and was outside of the castle walls in seconds. They barreled through the foliage for several minutes before Remor led the mouse behind a tree, and they halted briefly to catch their breath.

"We cannot stop from here on or we'll get caught by somebeast. Can you keep up?"

"I'm a spy, I'm not meant for running," Arden said through several gasps, but then he straightened up and stared at the pine marten with a hint of a smile. "If there is enough fear, or enough motivation then I could outrun a badger."

"Good because Redwall and Salamandastron's survival depends on your own! So here." Remor pulled out a pouch with the throwing knives, and Arden's wrapped dirk. "I'm probably going to be a little behind to deter the renegades and hopefully give you a clean getaway to your side, but take that just in case. And as soon as you get to your forces tell them they need to strengthen their right flank and look out for Sardan to hold back several hundred beasts as spares to squash you later."

Arden's eyes grew bigger with every sentence until he was gaping fearfully at Remor. Still panting slightly Remor said, "If you don't believe me then don't, but I am the commander of Sarden's army, and I am the one who came up with that strategy. It will be the one he will use. Now go!" He grabbed Arden and shoved him forward, and then the mouse picked up his feet and began gaining speed.

He started off after him shoving his way violently through branches as he strained to see ahead, praying at every second that they wouldn't meet anybody from Sardan's forces. For some time he ran always expecting to see some creature from the army pop up in front of him, yet nothing happened. Remor began losing speed as the fear of discovery slowly drained from him, but just as he was slowing to a walk he heard an alarmed cry up ahead of him. His adrenaline rushed again and he sprinted so fast he could not distinguish individual leaves around him before they were past.

The pine marten glimpsed Arden through the tangles fiercely battling some creatures that had somehow surrounded him. Baring his teeth and furrowing his brow into a ferocious growl, Remor grabbed his sword and leapt into the clearing swinging violently. He took off the forearm of a ferret who was unfortunate enough to have tried to stab Arden in the ribs. He screeched shrilly and immediately stumbled back to nurse the bloody stump of what was left. Another pine marten and a stoat stepped back, momentarily stunned to see their commander so violently attack any creature.

Remor took the time granted to shove Arden forward once more, "Go! Run! Get to your encampment!"

"B-but I can't leave you behind," Arden said as he stared around at the two vermin now with their attention on their commander. "I must fight!"

"I said run! Remember, your friends' survival depends on whether or not you live through this. Now go," Remor roared while still keeping his eyes focused on the two who were trying to walk around and engage him on two sides. Suddenly the stoat faltered and staggered forward as he put a paw to his chest; one of Arden's throwing knives had buried itself into his heart. His nerveless paw dropped his sword and he fell forward never to get up again.

Remor heard Arden crash into the brush again, but the other pine marten had taken a swing with his own sword in hopes of besting him when he thought his attention was divided. He parried the blow, and stepped forward to deliver several attacks that the creature blocked easily.

He grinned nastily, "Well, well, Commander Malak. I'm surprised you'd harbor such a rebellious attitude. Well, guess who will be the Commander now?"

While the marten gloated, though, Remor stepped forward and delivered one blow to his arm that held the sword, forcing him to drop his weapon and then Remor took his head off with one clean stroke. "Certainly not you," he answered, staring angrily at the wide, vacant eyes.

He was brought back to the present when he heard shouts sounding up and the distant crashing of foliage as creatures barreled in to see what the commotion was. He sheathed his sword and turned to dash off the way he remembered Arden going and silently hoped the mouse had made it to his army in one piece.

Remor glanced back to see the progress of the renegades. He jumped when he saw the trees around him disappear and when he glanced forward he came to a sliding halt; he was standing in the middle of the battlefield. On opposite ends both lords stood facing each other seemingly lined up perfectly, but even from his middle ground Remor could tell which warlord had the advantage. Abruptly he turned and started dashing for the woodlander's side, and his heart leapt when he saw Arden's small form running for the frontlines. Remor allowed himself a smile at this and immediately thought, That's it. I'm free!

"Lord Blackpaw, there are vermin still on Arden's tail!"

The badger lord watched through narrowed eyes at the form, and then he could see the details as the creature came closer. It was a pine marten, of that there was no doubt. And, somehow, he was smiling. "Aim and fire accordingly. We cannot have Arden harassed, and one less vermin to count in that wildcat's forces is always helpful."

"Yes, sir," the red squirrel said with the smile of one playing with a child, and then he brought his bow up and notched his arrow. Squinting one eye, he aimed and fired.

The whole of Sardan's frontline was staring in stiff surprise when they saw their longtime commander Remor Malak dart out of the forest and toward the woodlanders' side. One of Sardan's more experienced bowbeasts suddenly shook himself and peered up at the wildcat to see his reaction. The cat seemed to have fallen into shock and could only stare.

The ferret interrupted gently. "Sir, I can slay him from this distance with my longbow, but you have to give me the order now or I'll lose him. Sir?"

Sardan stirred. "Shoot him."

"As you wish, sir," the ferret muttered before pulling back his sideways bow and taking aim. When he thought Remor was targeted he let the string twang and the arrow flew.

Remor was still running joyfully when the first arrow from the woodlander's side took him in the right thigh. He stumbled in surprise, but then continued forward, knowing full well they had shot him from an enemy's standpoint and could not know his new stance. Suddenly pain flared up in his left shoulder when he felt another arrow lodge itself there.

From behind…Sardan! Remor turned dazedly to gaze back at his old allies through hazy vision then turned back to reaching his original goal, but when he tried to get up he found the strength draining with the blood that leaked steadily out of both wounds. So he crawled forward.

Steadily, one paw over the other, he continued following Arden's tracks. But his breath was growing shallower, and the strength in his arms was slowly leaving him in his vain effort to continue forward; unbidden tears began leaking from his eyes as he tried to move.

Finally, he set down his right arm and it twisted underneath him so that he fell heavily and awkwardly on top of it. Remor screamed an animal's cry of pain when the arrow in his thigh burrowed in deeper and when the full impact of the two arrows hit him: both sides had hated him equally.

The woodlanders did not bother giving him the benefit of the doubt before they knew why he was pursuing Arden. The vermin had always hated him; they jeered and goaded all through his captainhood and those calls only subsided when he gained his position as commander. But he had known long before then that his position at his warlord's side was only temporary because Sardan didn't trust anybeast for long. He would've replaced him in due time. Remor had made no impact on him.

Carefully he wrenched his right arm out from beneath him and stretched it out toward the woodlanders' side. Once again their faces were blurred by the film of tears that flowed out of his eyes and he gave a hitched sob when he realized they would not be coming to rescue him. Slowly, slowly he felt himself fade away. The fingers of his right paw fell limp and soon the tears and light from his eyes had gone away from his limp form. Remor Malak lay in the middle of the battlefield shot down by prejudice and hate.

Arden had not known the arrow was fired and was grinning when he was greeted by loud whoops and hollers from all the creatures around him. He slapped his friends' paws on his way to the badger lord then saluted him and said, "Arden reporting, sir. I have strategic information regarding this battle. You'll want to strengthen the right flank because there is vermin hiding in the forest, and Sardan is expected to hold back several hundred soldiers, so that he can overwhelm you later in the battle. Remor Malak can explain it to you better than I though."

"Who?" The badger lord said, looking down at the mouse in confusion.

"Remor Malak. He's a pine marten, sir, and the former commander to Sardan. He should be coming up soon," the mouse said, still grinning gleefully up at the badger. The smile tapered though when he heard a hush fall over those present and the badger's serious gaze changed to one of somber guilt.

"Sir?"

"Behind you, Arden."

The mouse turned and immediately lost his breath at the sight before him. Remor was trying to pitifully crawl the rest of the way, though the mouse could see an arrow sticking out of the back of his shoulder. And—and one arrow sticking out of his front thigh, no doubt fired from the woodlander's side. He stood, speechless, as the pine marten suddenly fell and wailed in such deep anguish that Arden winced and stepped back as if he'd been slapped. Though he was still several hundred yards away, Remor had brought his paw up trying to reach for him. Subconsciously Arden began stepping forward, reaching out with his own right paw only to have the badger's great one land on his shoulder and hold him back.

Even from his distance, he could see the light fade from Remor's eyes and his living form relax in death.

Arden could only stare. Then he turned on the badger lord and shouted, "Why did you shoot him? Why! He helped me escape from the castle and told me Sardan's plans so that if I reached you first I could tell you right away! He was trustworthy!"

"Was he?" Lord Blackpaw watched him with gentle but still guilt stricken eyes before saying, "Vermin always have a price for any deed, no matter how good, and we thought he was chasing you."

"You didn't even give him a chance! How could you kill him?" And here Arden was staring around at all of them with an expression split between grief and white rage.

"Because he was vermin."

Arden froze there. He knew that would be the only real reason that he would get from anybeast. Staring around, he saw a few could not meet his eyes when they no doubt saw Remor's body on the otherwise untouched ground. Some stared resolutely at him, so entrenched in their beliefs that all vermin were evil that they felt no remorse for the pine marten, who had gambled and sacrificed everything for their livelihood.

And still, Arden knew that these creatures were only reflections of what he'd been. He had mistrusted Remor and still had expected the marten to lead him to his death up until he got his weapons back. And then he knew the truth behind Remor's words and actions.

While all the other creatures geared up for war, Arden stood facing Remor. He put a paw to his heart, and bowed his head. It was the only respects and the only moment of silence the pine marten ever received, even after the woodlanders indifferently buried him with Sardan's corpse. Arden silently gave him his respect and prayed to Martin, the guardian of Redwall, that Remor had gained at least a sliver of redemption.